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Korea Passing (Korean: 코리아 패싱) is a neologism for the phenomenon of South Korea being alienated from the international community in the course of discussions on North Korea in 2017.^[1]

In 2017 discussions, the presidential candidate, Yoo Seung-min, the Bareun Party candidate, used the phrase 'Korea passing'. Yoo argued Korea is isolated in its diplomatic relations with global society.^[2] The term derives from a 1998 incident when Bill Clinton visited only China without visiting Japan, which the Japanese media called a 'Japan passing', signifying "Japan's alienation from global society." In early 2017, 'Korea passing' emerged as a diplomatic buzzword in relation to the situation facing South Korea.^[3][1]

In this context a 'passing' is a mistranslation into Japanese (and later Korean) which carries the same meaning as the English expression “to receive a cold-shoulder”. However, major U.S. media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and Fox News, have used the phrase ‘Korea passing’ in reference to the situation in South Korea.^[4][5]

President Park Geun-hye was impeached in March 2017, and there was a high probability that Moon Jae-in, who is more friendly to North Korea, would win the upcoming election. The Trump administration was concerned that the incoming South Korean government would take a more passive stance towards relations with their Northern neighbor, and refrain from imposing strong sanctions on North Korea.^[6][7]

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalated when North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear test in September 2017 after firing several ballistic missiles in April 2017. In response, the Trump administration increased pressure on North Korea via additional sanctions. The Moon Jae-in administration, which took office at the same time, did not increase pressure on North Korea in tandem with the United States, which some saw as reducing the ability for a strong international response towards North Korea. ^[7][8]

Relatedly, the South Korean administration formulated a policy to resume work on the Kaesong Industrial Complex and Mount Kumgang, further increasing economic cooperation with North Korea, leading to a widening gap between the geopolitical response towards North Korea carried out by South Korea, and the United States.^[8]

Donald Trump contacted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after North Korea’s ballistic missile test, but did not contact South Korean President Moon Jae-in, furthering increased dialogue around a 'Korea passing'.^[9][10] Relations were further strained as a result of President Moon Jae-in’s questions about intelligence sharing around the deployment of THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense ) assets in South Korean territory. The conflict over the THAAD deployment deepened after the U.S. Department of Defense declined to provide answers to the questions posed by South Korean leaders.^[11]

The New York Times published a piece claiming that South Korea will be the 'odd man out' due to differences in South Korea’s policy on North Korea at the Korea-U.S. and Japan summit on September 21st, 2017. When US President Donald Trump visited South Korea on November 7th, 2017, and conducted a press conference with Moon Jae-in. Trump made a comment "[South] Korea is a very important country,", "there will be no exclusion [of South Korea]," and denied there was any 'Korea passing'. However, conservative opposition parties in Sourh Korea insisted Trump's comments were typical diplomatic rhetoric, and the controversy about 'Korea passing' will continue because no formal agreements were reached.^[12]

Following the US-South Korea summit, Trump praised Moon Jae-in's cooperation with the United States on addressing the North Korea situation. But, the Wall Street Journal pointed out Moon jae-in's policies on the Kaesong Industrial Complex and the THAAD deployment, saying that Moon Jae-in is an 'unreliable friend'. It was claimed that the United States still viewed the Moon Jae-in administration negatively.^[13]

On May 19, 2018, Donald Trump called to Moon Jae-in when right before Moon Jae-in visited US and asked why there is difference Moon Jae-in's pledge and North Korea's stance about denuclearization. And, Donald Trump has expressed discomfort.^[14]

Trump also kept a stiff look on his face during the May 22 summit between South Korea and the U.S. In addition, Trump unilaterally had most press conference peremptorily and scaled back existing an exclusive interview. Trump was questioned a total of 28 questions, Moon Jae-in had only two opportunity to reply.

Trump refused the interpreter to Moon Jae-in's last reply unilaterally, he said " I'm sure that's what I've heard before, so I don't have to listen to an interpreter.".^[15]

On May 24, Trump announced the cancellation of the 2018 North Korea-U.S. Summit, which was scheduled for June, without notice to the Republic of Korea. Blue House belatedly received the news of the cancellation through Twitter.^[16]

Related to this, controversy over 'Korea passing' has resurfaced. Hong Jun-pyo, who was delegatee of Liberty Korea Party, made mention of 'Korea passing', and contended Moon Jae-in administration is excluded from North Korea-U.S. summit negotiation. Then, he added the success of negotiation is up to U.S. and China.^[17][18]

On June 30, 2019, when 2019 Koreas–United States DMZ Summit was held, Trump didn't want Moon to join him according to John Bolton's book.^[19]

China to abandon the debate of the Republic of Korea after the inauguration of the Moon Jae-in administration also flared up.^[20]

President Moon Jae-in stated that the decision on additional deployment is necessary. In response, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi protested, saying, 'This decision is a setback for relations between the two countries.' In addition, China, Xi Jinping said 'Moon Jae-in deceived us.' and sad as he complained.^[20][21] On October 31, 2017, South Korea and China released a joint document containing 'results of consultation between the two countries on improving relations' to normalize their relations.^[21] In the process, China touted that South Korea promised not to do three things: deploy additional THAAD, participate in the U.S. missile defense system, and cooperate with South Korea, the U.S., and Japan.^[22][21] This led to a controversy over Korea's diplomatic humiliation. China did not express its regret over the THAAD retaliation or prevent a recurrence, and stressed that exchanges between South Korea and China can be normalized as soon as possible by keeping the "Not-doing 3 Things" promise, leaving the possibility that the issue could spark in the future.^[23]

North Korean policy changed after the launch of the government's Moon Jae-in. The South Korean government has continually proposed military talks, Red Cross talks and requests for the North to participate in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, but North Korea has been unresponsive for some time, causing controversy.^[9]

But North Korea's participation in the 2018 Winter Olympics has been sputtering after its top leader Kim Jong-un signaled his intention to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics in his New Year's message for 2018. Since then, there has been a flurry of inter-Korean relations, even after the successful inter-Korean summit in April 2018, but the dispute over the Korea Passing has flared up again due to conflicts over denuclearization and the North's unilateral disregard for the South Korean side.^[24]

North Korea unilaterally called off scheduled high-level talks between South Korea and the United States, denouncing the joint South Korea-U.S. exercise "Max Thunder" in a strong tone and condemning the defection of Thae Yong-ho, a former British construction worker in North Korea's state, as "human scum."^[25]

In June 2020, North Korea blew up an inter-Korean joint liaison office.^[26]

In Japan, it has been recognized that ignore politely is the best way to deal with Moon Jae-in's administration.^[27] And in defense white paper, Defense of japan 2019, Japan gave South Korea cold shoulder as security partner by lowering South Korea's standing.^[28][29] Since 2018, the legal foundation of the friendly and cooperative relationship between two countries had overthrown. The legal foundation is "Agreement Between Japan and the Republic of Korea Concerning the Settlement of Problems in Regard to Property and Claims and Economic Cooperation". Under this severe situation surrounding the relationship caused by the South Korea side, the government of Japan is waiting for South Korea to resolve this internationally illegal situation.^[30]

On the South Korea side, controversy erupted over Korea Passing when it was failed to arrange a summit meeting with Japan during the period of 2019 G20 Osaka summit.^[31][32] A former Korean minister of foreign affairs, Gong Ro-myung, criticized the Korean government for acting like amateurs, leading Korea-Japan relations to deteriorate catastrophically and hit rock bottom politically and economically.^[33]

After the self-coup by Yoon Suk-yeol, leaders from around the world are avoiding diplomatic activities with the South Korean government. Lloyd Austin, United States Secretary of Defense, decided not to visit South Korea.^[34] The Prime Minister of Japan, Shigeru Ishiba, is said to have canceled his plan to visit South Korea and is coordinating a visit to Southeast Asia, including Indonesia.^[35]

On 13 December 2024 (based on KST), U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has said he will meet Kim Jong-un once the war in Ukraine and the war in Gaza are over, there are concerns that South Korea may be subjected to "Korea Passing" by Donald Trump unless Yoon Suk-yeol is impeached.^[36]

After the second impeachment motion was passed by the National Assembly on 14 December 2024, the U.S. government said that "We highly value the resilience of South Korea's democracy and the rule of law", and expressed its readiness to work with the acting president.^[37] However, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump declared that a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is possible before he took office, and did not mention South Korea at all, so there are also concerns that South Korea's diplomatic isolation and decline in international status will continue unless the Constitutional Court of Korea quickly decides to impeach Yoon Suk-yeol.^[38][39][40]

• Foreign relations of South Korea
• Globalization
• North Korea-United States summit (disambiguation)
• 2024 South Korean martial law